


Hold Tight (You're Slowly Coming Back To Life)

by superscavenger



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex gets superpowers, Barry sticks around, F/F, Kara continues being a puppy, Lucy Lane and Cat Grant need to sort their goddamn feelings out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-06-04 01:06:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6634819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superscavenger/pseuds/superscavenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One wrong move starts it all, setting in motion a series of events that change everything.  Alex's life begins again when she's ordained with powers she's seen before, but never thought she'd have to control herself; with the help of Kara, Lucy, Hank and Barry, she navigates through the uncertain turf.  Meanwhile, Kara begins her own battle; her feelings for her boss, the Queen of All Media and...friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Collapse and Rebirth

‘I gotta go and get this wire fixed,’ Alex says, shrugging on a suit and grabbing some gloves from the control table.

‘Aw come on big Danvers, not gonna see me off?’

She’d met Barry the second time he’d come to National City, just as Powergirl had swooped in from what they know as Earth 4 to try and take Supergirl’s place as heroine of the city itself.

‘I can’t, if this wire’s out we might be on lockdown for a week if I don’t get up and fix it. Engineers have gone home for the night. Plus Lucy’s really busting my nut for some reason,’ she says, eyeing the Director with a mix of disdain and curiosity. Kara would have to ask her about that later.

'Hey, I'm just trying to say goodbye to Supergirl's personal bodyguard.'

‘Don’t get cheeky, Allen.’

He giggles a little, and holds out his hand for her to shake. She can't help but take it; he's a charming young man, and if circumstances were different, she would love having him around more often. His friendship with Kara has made such a difference to her sister; she noticed after the first time they met, Kara and Barry, how much more happy and inspired her sister was. Their altercation had obviously helped Kara finally win National City back, and they'd made a lasting friendship on the way. He was like her, somewhat; different than the rest of the world, and at times, he didn't always fit in. They'd found solace in somebody similar to the other, somebody they could keep up with, literally and figuratively...not to mention they both eat as much as Alex would in a week.

‘Well it's been a pleasure to finally meet you, Barry. Or should I say, The Flash.’

‘And you big Danvers. You and your sister make a fine team.’

Alex glances to her little sister, who is literally gushing at the exchange. She never thought this day would come; her sister finally meeting her friend from another dimension. Her universe-hopping buddy.

She goes up to fix the wire, taking it out of the wall and opening her tool box while she talks to the last remaining engineer at the desk, monitoring her work and helping her through it.

‘Well Barry, it was awesome seeing you again. I hope I can come to the other side next time, Central City sounds pretty awesome.’

‘Well get yourself fast enough to hop universes and I’m sure we could get you a sightseeing tour.’

Kara and Barry laugh together, that nerdy little laugh that Alex always hears from Kara whenever she’s geeking out about a TV show or Winn’s science talk.

‘See you later, Barry. Sure you don’t need my help throwing you through the universe barrier?’

‘I told you, I’m fast enough these days that I don’t need your help,’ Barry replies, and Alex scoffs as she listens to the conversation through her earpiece.

She’s a few floors up, but she still has ears on Kara just in case something comes up. After all, they’re never short of surprises in this part of the world.

‘Alright, turn it on down there please,’ Alex says into her earpiece, holding the wire ready to insert it back into its rightful place.

She sees it spark to life, and she endeavours to put it back in the wall as quickly as possible as it happens, but of course, she doesn’t see him coming.

Nobody ever does.

She’s knocked to the ground and she can’t help but drop the supercharged wires straight onto her chest.

Lightning flashes before her eyes, blue blurs and yellow dots, everything that screams ‘wrong’, and she can feel every muscle in her body cramping and charging with power like it’s never going to stop.

She barely feels Barry touching her arm, screaming at her to stay with him, and her eyes begin to fade to black as Kara races towards them, tears already forming in her shining blue eyes.

Lightning.

That’s all she can feel.

~()~

‘What’s happening to her?’

‘She’s going into cardiac arrest, she’s seizing, everything’s happening at once,’ Hank says, his voice laced with worry and emotion.

’It’s the lightning and the electricity, it’s affecting her makeup simultaneously,’ Barry says, striding into the room before Hank even has a chance to look up.

‘Get him OUT OF HERE!’

Hank is roaring, all of his anger directed at the Scarlet Speedster who can’t do anything but try and help.

‘Barry, please, listen to him,’ Kara mutters softly, putting her hand on his shoulder and quietly leading him out of the room.

‘Kara, I’m sorry, please I can help her! Joe said this happened to me too!’

‘I know, Barry but you need to wait until Hank isn’t going to rip your head off, you have to wait.’

‘Waiting means she might die, she needs a specific treatment plan or she’s not gonna survive this, regular doctors won’t help her.’

‘These aren’t regular doctors. We have technology in here that’s probably matching that of STAR Labs.’

‘Why are you so calm?’

That’s when he gets a real look into Kara’s eyes.

There’s terror that’s never even touched her in them. So dark and horrible that it’s like nobody could or would ever make it better.

‘Because if I’m not I’ll fall apart,’ she whispers, her throat thick with threatening tears.

He moves to hug her but she puts a hand square on his chest, using a tiny amount of her infinite strength to push him away.

‘Kara I just nicked her shoulder, I didn’t know she was up there, I'm so sorry, I couldn’t stop…’

‘Barry…please. I’ll come get you later.’

She’s staring into the room where Hank and his team work to figure out how to stop Alex seizing.

When Barry finally leaves the room, at a normal walking pace with his hands behind his neck, he doesn’t notice the tears that are cascading down Supergirl’s face as she watches her sister fight for her life.

‘Come on Alex, you can come back from this. I know you can.’

~()~

It’s been 3 weeks since Alex was struck by lethal mockup of Flash Lightning and enough electricity to power the entirety of National City.

God knows what else was in that electric concoction; there are so many different things that run through the electricity and power systems at the DEO to keep superstrong aliens with an array of powers locked away that anything could be coursing through her.

She can’t put her mind at rest about anything, so instead she does the exact opposite.

Kara goes into work every day, throwing herself into her menial tasks and trying her best to stay focused, and not think about her sister unconscious in a bed at the DEO.

It’s goddamn difficult but she does it, but not without the Queen of All Media noticing, of course.

It’s only at the end of the third editorial meeting in Cat’s office that day when she finally pipes up.

‘Kara, a word.’

‘Of course, Miss Grant,’ she parrots, clutching her tablet as she meekly follows her boss onto the balcony.

‘I don’t normally like to bring up personal matters at work, but you know I’ve come to…care for your wellbeing, Kiera. So may I ask what’s been bothering you for the best part of the month?’

’It’s…’

‘Please, Kara. I’m not in the mood for meekness, you know me.’

‘It’s my sister,’ Kara blurts, more forcefully that she’d have liked. ‘She’s really, really sick. And I don’t know, if she’s going to live or die and honestly if she does I don’t know if I’m going to be able to live with it.’

Cat doesn’t seem entirely blindsided by such a fervent admission, seemingly taking in every word slowly and carefully.

‘I can have her put in a ward where the best doctors in the country will look after her. Privately of course.’

‘Regular doctors can’t help her Miss Grant.’

‘I see.’ There’s a moment of accepting silence between them, and she can see Kara is grateful for the offer. She presses on.

‘Listen, Kara, I’m sorry this is happening, but maybe if you took some leave it might be…an amicable plan considering -‘

‘No. No, no no, please don’t make me take leave right now Miss Grant. I’m barely holding it together as it is,’ she blurts out, not seeming to be able to control her mouth around this strikingly powerful woman. She never has, really.

‘Kara, you need to take some time for yourself, you’re losing it. Don’t take me for an idiot, you know I’m cleverer that half the people in this building put together,’ she says, slightly aware of how arrogant she’s sounding.

‘They’ve already made me give up one thing, don’t make me give up another.’

Cat knows exactly what she’s talking about, but she presses as if she doesn’t. This is Kara’s secret to tell.

‘What do you mean they? Who’s pressuring you not to do what?’

She can see tears glistening in her assistant’s eyes, and her heart aches so much for her. She doesn’t deserve this pain.

‘My not-day job.’

She reaches to open her shirt, the buttons popping open easily to reveal a strong, sturdy crest of the House of El.

Or more simply, the hallowed ’S’.

Cat looks at her chest for a little longer than necessary, before her head slowly bows as she thinks of what to say next. She’s known for months, but Kara has finally told her herself.

‘Why tell me now?’

‘Because I can trust you. I never thought I’d say that but you know me better than most of people I’m friends with here, one look and you could tell something was wrong. Listen to me please, Ms Grant, I need something to take my mind off the fact that my sister...and everybody else is treading light footed with me. They won't talk to me without a look of pity and I can't take it. You just let me get on with at least one of my jobs.’

Cat’s face lights up with realisation. ‘So this is why The Flash is filling in for Supergirl.’

‘Ha…my other boss doesn’t want me to exert myself.’

‘Job done already, Kara, and this boss doesn’t need x-ray vision to see you’re dead on your feet. At least go home today, and rest up properly.’

‘How would you know about my x-ray vision?’

Cat’s eyes light up.

‘Lucky guess,’ she says, a small smirk building on her face.

‘Ms Grant, I know that…I said I trust you, and I do, really do,’ Kara says, not really registering how close she’s getting to her boss. ‘But please, just don’t tell anybody. I need to know that right now, my identity is safe.  I'm asking you...as my friend. Please,’ she finishes, a tear finally escaping.

‘Kara I promise you that I will not breathe a word. I’m not dense, as I said,’ she quips, thinking she can ask questions when Kara’s in a better place to answer them. ‘Now go home.’

For the first time in her entire professional life, Kara finally decides to takes an actual sick day.

‘Okay.’

'I expect you back tomorrow, 8:45 sharp. Lattes hot, layouts prepped.'

There's an underlying care in her words; she still means them of course, she's Cat Grant, running the tightest ship since the Daily Planet was big. She needs these things done, and Kara needs this distraction.

It's a good arrangement, and Kara can't help but feel something akin to gratitude, but not just that.  Her heart skips a beat every time she sees her boss, now friend as well.  She thinks, maybe now, knows what she feels when she looks at Cat Grant, and she's terrified.  She glances her way one more time, seeing Cat tapping away at her keyboard behind thickly framed glasses, before leaving the office.

~()~

'Good afternoon Cat Grant's office, this is Kara.'

'Kara it's Lucy.'

'What's going on?'

'Kara, it's your sister. She's waking up.'

She shoots up from her desk, only remembering to quell her inhuman speed before slamming the phone down and walking briskly into Cat's office.

'Miss Grant-'

She looks up and instantly sees Kara's apprehensive and entirely worried face, and her own creases a little with concern.

'Is it your sister?'

Kara nods with an unintelligible babble of positive answers coming out of her mouth, already backing up out of the office again.

'Go. I hope she's okay, Kara.'

Even if Cat doesn't have super hearing, she saw the thank you just about come out of her assistant's lips.

She looks on, worried, and she tries not to let her other employees see it. It would, after all, be a disaster if Cat Grant was to actually have feelings towards someone other than her sons.

Feelings for Kara..?

She tries to boot that out of her head before she can even think about it.

Meanwhile, Kara takes less than two minutes to arrive at the DEO.

‘Where is she?’

‘Kara, you have to calm down, don’t let her see you for the first time in weeks like this.’  Kara notices the ardent relief in Lucy's eyes, registering it for later.

‘Lucy, just tell me where she is.’

She doesn’t try and stop her then. Alex is just sitting up, her eyes closed and she’s breathing slowly.

Kara stops at the door, gripping onto the glass and trying to not to break it with her super strength.

Her sister has been in a coma for three weeks, one she didn’t think she’d wake up from for…

Well, she didn’t even want to think about it.

She doesn’t notice Barry walking in to the main control room behind her.

‘What took you so long?’ Lucy asks under a hushed hiss.

‘I took the lift down. I’m not taking any chances in this place.’

Kara waits until her beloved sister looks up at her, and she’s about to run over to hug her when she sees Alex’s eyes.

They’re flashing, yellow streaks and blue dots running from one end to the other, and they don’t stop as tears begin to fill her eyes. She smiles tearily at Kara and begins to get up, using her full strength to launch herself at her sister.

The only one who has an inkling of what might happen is Barry.

‘Wait, no!’

Alex speeds right into Kara, slamming her body into the Superhero and sending them both flying into the main control room and into the wall on the other side of it, landing heavily on the floor with her arms safely around her sister.

She doesn't even take a moment to collect her bearings before murmuring questions about her sisters wellbeing, asking her if she's okay and about to move her when Barry is stopping everything.

'Don't move her!'

'What? Why not?'

'Her bones will be -'

'Would you relax, red Lycra? I'm fine, I think,' Alex says hoarsely, it being only the second thing that's she's said for almost a month. She moves slowly to get up from Kara, not seeming to realise she literally just slammed into a Kryptonian at inhuman speed.

Barry is speechless.

'Why are you all staring at me?'

Her face contorts into one of panic and confusion, Kara standing in front of her after getting up from her crumpled position.

'Alex,' she murmurs, before looking down at her sister's hand.

It's vibrating so hard that streaks are emulating from it, crackling with electricity that is so blue it looks as if it could have come from the ocean.

Alex brings it up to her face, watching it with panic rife in her still flashing eyes.

'What's happening to me?'


	2. Does It Always Feel Like This?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the absence of Supercat in this one, just putting some foundations down for a certain different pairing and Alex's superpower storyline. Hope you all enjoy, and hit me up on tumblr at superpuppydanvers with questions, rants and the like.

‘Kara wha…’

 

‘Hey, Alex, look at me, look at me, hey,’ Kara says soothingly, grabbing Alex’s free hand and lightly guiding her chin.

 

‘Just focus on me, nothing else.You feel that? that’s my heartbeat,’ she continues, placing Alex’s still hand over her chest, breathing heavily so Alex could feel that rhythm too.

 

‘Breathing in slowly, out slowly.Okay?’

 

Alex can only nod dumbly as everybody begins to notice the hand slow down, finally becoming motionless and then flexed a little.

 

Lucy wants to go over there, grasp that hand softly and squeeze it to let her know she’s there, she’s there for her and that she’s going to get through this and be okay but she knows Alex wouldn’t take it well.She sighs a little to herself and she absolutely knows Kara can hear it, as the hero’s eyes flicker in her direction.

 

‘Barry,’ Kara asked quietly, so as not to ruin the now more tense scene set in the DEO control room, ‘you know more about this than any of us do.What’s happening to Alex?’

 

‘Well for starters, this is all happening at a different rate that it did for me.It took me 8 months to come out of my coma after the particle accelerator explosion, but it’s only taken you three weeks, which is remarkable.You obviously have speed, like me, because you ran into Kara at a speed not doable by even a fast sports car, so speed is obviously something you’ve gained.’

 

‘So what does this mean for her?’ Hank questions harshly, still not in the best place with Barry since he caused the accident.

 

Barry looks at Alex with uncertainty.For the first time in her life, she’s seeing Alex look entirely terrified.

 

‘I don’t know.I mean the fact that,’ Barry begins, stopping to rush into the room Alex had been situated in and look at the monitor, ‘when you ran into Kara, at what could be almost your full speed, it would have been like running into a Kryptonian brick wall. Your bones should have shattered on impact, Alex,’ he finishes, glancing tentatively in the woman’s direction as Kara’s hand grips a little more firmly around her sister’s hand.

 

‘If my assumptions are correct, unlike me your bones must have gained some sort of enhancement from whatever went through your system that day.’

 

‘So what, I’m just…I’m some indestructible speedster now?’

 

‘Nobody’s indestructible, Alex, and that’s coming from me,’ Kara quips, smiling a little in her sister’s direction to lighten the mood a little.She hated tense rooms.It was like being back home on Krypton and watching her mother sentence somebody. 

 

She’d only seen it happen twice, one with a seemingly dangerous young woman who would one day become Galatea, who she’d fought only a couple of months before, and the Hellgrammite whom Alex herself had killed back when Kara had just become Supergirl.It was always so sad and tense, and she couldn’t stand it.

 

‘Well this is an alien prison, right? You hold some really powerful creatures and people in here.You must use some strong materials through the electrical currents.I’m gonna need -‘

 

‘Not so fast, Mr Allen,’ Hank snaps, ‘we aren’t giving you anything on this facility whatsoever.The only reason you are still here is so Supergirl can concentrate on helping her sister. Be mindful that you should really be under arrest for causing one of my top agents significant physical harm.’

 

‘Hank,’ Alex calls, her voice quiet and timid unlike anything anyone but Kara had really heard before.‘Let him help.He’s trying.’

 

Barry smiles uncomfortably at Alex, who regards him with a flash of sympathy, but her face says simply - ‘don’t let me down’.

 

The woman turns to her little sister, whose face is contorted with perplexity and worry.She wants to grab Kara’s hand, but sudden movements are just things she doesn’t know if she can control.She doesn’t know what she’d do if she tried to run, jog, even walk quickly.She can’t feel it when she’s doing nothing, but the second she moves, it’s as if every bone and muscle in her body is emitting the most incredible power she just can’t handle.

 

‘Hank, can you help get Barry what he needs? Despite your differences you could…work well together.Just don’t…you know, rip him in half?’ Kara says, a sheepish smile on her face as she addresses her boss.

 

‘Fine. No promises on that last part, though.’

 

‘Lucy? Can you come with us? I’ve got a plan for my big sister.’

 

‘Yes ma’am,’ salutes the Major, quietly overjoyed she’s going to actually spend time with Alex for the first time in weeks. 

 

She knows it’ll be awkward, but…she doesn’t care.

 

~()~

 

_4 weeks before_

 

‘We need a concrete plan, not this crap.I’m sorry Danvers, what you’re asking for just can’t be done.’

 

‘I thought liaising with the Army would be a little easier now since Myriad,’ Alex fires back, and Lucy flinches at the mention of the Army.  ‘You’re just helping them put more roadblocks in front of us, we can’t decommission Cadmus if we don’t actually act.’

 

‘You don’t have enough information on it yet.If you go in there all guns blazing, with a Martian and a Kryptonian in tow, they’re going to take you in and use you too.You will disappear off the face of the earth, and then National City has lost its three biggest assets. And a lot of people…’ Lucy trails off for a second.She looks over at the other side of the room, not sure what to focus on.Anywhere but Alex, anyway.

 

‘A lot of people will lose those they care about.You’re import…you’re all important to this city and to your friends, Alex.You can’t just go in without a game plan.’

 

‘All due respect, Lane, it isn’t really your business.What we do about Cadmus isn’t under DEO Jurisdiction as it is.Therefore it’s nothing to do withthe Co-Director.’

 

‘Oh, shut up, Danvers.You know what I’m talking about.Just because the rest of this place doesn’t know doesn’t mean I don’t care or I’m gonna ignore you doing something stupid.I’m surprised J’onn even agreed to this.I know Kara would, but she’d follow you into a volcano, so that’s not really the point. We may be equal rank here, Alex, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to use mine to make sure you don’t do something utterly goddamn stupid.You’re too important.’

 

_Too important to me._

 

‘Cut the crap, Lane.I know you don’t give two shits about me.’

 

Lucy can’t reply. God help her if somebody thought she actually gave a damn about Alex Danvers.

 

‘Whatever I think, just hold off until we’ve dealt with Kara’s new universe doppelgänger.She’s the best match Kara’s had since Non.’

 

‘I’ve been waiting for 6 months.’

 

‘So you can wait a little longer.I understand this is your father, Alex.I do.But we need to support Kara and J’onn right now so we can get ‘Powergirl’ off the streets.’

 

‘Fine.I’ll wait.But after that, I’m doing what needs to be done.’

 

Alex comes right up to Lucy’s face, only mere inches away.Lucy can’t find it in herself to catch her breath, not for a second. 

 

It’s electrifying, but terrifying all at the same time.Despite the situation…she can’t help but like it.

 

‘And I don’t need permission to do _anything_ from _you._ ’

 

She swears she sees Alex’s eyes flicker down to her lips before she storms out of the laboratory, leaving Lucy clutching the side tightly with her small, strong hand.

 

~()~

 

_Present Time_

 

‘So you’re putting me in a spare Supergirl bodysuit and fireproof yoga pants.I’ve never felt more in fashion.’

 

Kara jeers at the insult her sister throws her way, but continues to set up the monitors with Lucy assisting.

 

‘Do you want the skirt and cape instead?’

 

‘I’m good, Supergirl.You do you and I’ll do me.’

 

Lucy walks round the makeshift table in the middle of the desert, the DEO just behind them.

 

‘Okay, these are -‘

 

‘Wireless heart rate monitors.Literally designed them.’

 

‘Don’t get smart with me, Einstein. These babies can also measure your metabolic rate, temperature,respiration, blood pressure.’

 

Alex pouts a little knowing somebody else had revolutionised her little project while she was gone. She’d spent ages trying to figure out a way for it to measure heart rates without signal interference.

 

‘Aww, don’t be sad somebody was cleverer than you for a little while, Danvers.You’re back now.I’m sure you’ll be back at the top in no time.’ As Lucy walks off, Alex huffs dejectedly.

 

‘Just because I was unconscious doesn’t mean I wasn’t clever!’

 

It’s terrible, but it’s all she’s got.The smile Lucy Lane fires her as she looks back, though, confuses her and makes pushes her heart rate that little bit at the same time.

 

‘Okay, Alex, so here’s what we’re gonna do.Pretty simple, really.We’re just going to test your speed.So basically… just run as fast as you can.Build it up, and see what you get to.’ 

 

‘What about my bone structure, isn’t that going to be a factor?Barry’s right, I should have smashed my skeleton.’

 

‘The fact you didn’t means that any accidents here should be minor.Barry doesn’t have the bone strength you apparently do, and he’s made it this far.Let’s just focus on the speed first, and then we should get answers on what’s happening to your strength and you bone structure later, okay?’ Lucy cuts in, trying to reassure Alex.It only seems to make her huff and turn to Kara.

 

‘I might be flying to track you, but don’t focus on that, just focus on where you’re going and how fast.You’ve got this, Alex.’

 

‘I….okay, yeah.I got this.’She jumps a little on the spot, limbering up.Getting into a position to start running, flexing her fists a little, she closes her eyes as she sees the blue streaks flicker across them.

 

Breathe in.

 

Breathe out.

 

_Go._

 

_~()~_

 

Lucy sees the boom in the distance and she can’t really believe her eyes.Alex just keeps on impressing her.

 

_Wait.Shut up, Lane._

 

‘Holy crap, did she just -?’

 

‘Hell yes.J’onn?’

 

The Martian came out of the DEO and walked out to the table, watching the blue blur in front of them weave her way through the desert, around and about, forth and back.

 

‘She’s doing well.’

 

Kara walks out from behind the equipment, smiling at her sister’s speed and a look of happy determination crosses her features.

 

‘I think my sister just broke the sound barrier sir.’

 

J’onn can’t hide his smile as hears the words spoken once again, this time about his protege.  It's as if they've switched, playing the scenes all over again.  As Kara flies up, her sonic boom echoes in the sky as she zooms to catch up with Alex.

 

‘Alex, did you hear that?’ Kara says into her earpiece, connected to her sister and to Lucy back at the DEO.

 

‘I can’t believe this, it’s kinda awesome!’

 

They keep going, both headed in the same direction now, not stopping or turning, simply running. 

 

And flying, of course.

 

They stop when they've been in line with the ocean for some time, and the coast begins to thin out on one side.

 

‘We made it all the way to Baja California.’

 

‘That’s like…it’s a hell of a long way.’

 

‘Yeah.’

 

Alex hardly struggles to regain her breath, and she looks over to her sister who’s serene features scan the ocean softly, taking in the dusk breeze.

 

‘Is…is that how you feel?All the time?’

 

‘Not…all the time, no.But when I fly with no weight on my shoulders, nowhere to be…it’s the most peaceful and carefree thing I could ever do.I’m not sure running is the same,but it’s a similar frame of mind.’

 

‘I just… the exhilaration.I’ve never felt that before, not really.Not like this.’

 

‘It’s not something a human can experience every day.’  Alex's head drops, not able to look at the girl she's protected for so many years in the eye.  

 

‘Kara I’m sorry.’

 

The superhero snaps her head up, and eyeballs her sister with curiosity and confusion.

 

‘For what?’

 

‘For trying to stop you.From flying, from using your powers…I know I haven’t really experienced what you have, but not being able to do that when what you can do is so incredible…that really put things into perspective.’

 

‘You were just trying to protect me,’ Kara argues.

 

‘I know,’ Alex replies, looking out at the ocean. ‘But still.I’m sorry.’

 

Alex grabs her little sister’s hand.

 

‘Guys, can we get you back to the DEO? Barry wants to talk to you Alex,’ Lucy says, trying to sound firm and confident, but even Kara can note the nervousness in her voice.

 

‘Alright, we’re heading back.’

 

~()~

 

‘How was your first jog?’

 

‘Ha ha.I can see why you like it, Allen.What’s up?’

 

‘Well, we think we might be onto something with your cell makeup and why you didn’t, well, shatter against Kara,’ Barry begins, rounding the table and going to a closet door on the other side of the lab.

 

‘Now, I can model it any colour you want, whatever logo you want -‘

 

‘Wait, what?’

 

Kara folds her arms and concentrates on Barry, almost knowing what’s coming.

 

‘Well if you’re gonna be a superhero, you’re gonna need a suit.’

 

He opens the door to a red suit, quite like his own, with a blank white circle on the chest plate and darker red streaks down the arms, as well as a swan neck collar.

 

‘I didn’t know what to do about the mask situation, but I figured you’d have a lot of your own input.’

 

Alex walks over slowly, running her hand down one arm.

 

‘Well it’s a spare suit of mine, Cisco came through a freak breach when they found it and brought it with him.It’s um…Winn actually modified it for you.’

 

Alex can’t take her eyes off the swan-neck collar, and looks at the slender thin gloves obviously made out of some incredibly durable materials. 

 

‘I don’t even know if I wanna be a superhero yet, Barry, there’s so much we don’t know about these powers.’

 

‘I know.But if you do, modifications can be made and…you and Kara can be a super crime-fighting duo or something not so lame sounding as that was, maybe,’ he finishes, hitting his fist on his other hand a little.

 

She looks at Kara who’s fighting a smile, mulling it over in her head.

 

She can’t help but return it as before she looks back at what her future could look like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if this is canonically correct but in here I've made National City the equivalent of San Francisco, so it actually is a hell of a long way to run to Baja California. Let me know if there's an actual canonic equivalent!


	3. El Mayara...or not?

Kara’s a little worried, to say the least.

She thought she had stamina, but her sister? Damn. She’s running her absolute ass off almost four hours every day, and she’s eating about as much as Kara. Supergirl will sure as hell miss being able to scoop up leftovers now that her sister wants all the food to herself just as much as she does.

She’s also gone a tad crazy.

‘Alex, maybe you need to slow down, ironic as that sounds? You haven’t slept more than four hours a night in the last two days and that whiteboard is just…’

Kara’s sister looks at the board, and back at the superhero who has her arms crossed, a slightly pained look chiseled into her features.

‘What? If I can read it, what else matters? It’s just my calculations.’

‘Yeah. Calculations of what, what are you even trying to decipher?’

‘She’s trying,’ says Barry, who’s walked briskly into the room, snapping the lid off his board pen and going straight for one side, ‘to calculate the magnitude of the strike that went through her. She’s accelerating at a rate almost three times quicker than I did when I first got my speed, and then factoring in the new slightly heavier weight of her bone structure being seemingly, well, unbreakable, and the list of what could be going through her bloodstream either slowing her down or making her faster…’

Kara’s face is a picture, and she blinks a few times before looking to Vasquez, who’d followed Barry into the room and perched herself against the door frame to watch the weirdo speedster.

‘What was - I -‘

‘Don’t ask me, Danvers,’ Vasquez murmurs with a glance in Kara’s general direction, also rather stumped.

‘What he means is it’s gonna take a while. We’re still identifying what could be in my system and we don’t know why my skeleton has become so strong, so the chemical mix of all of it, well understanding it, could be the key to total control over my powers.’

‘Speed.’

‘Powers, Allen, I can slam into a Kryptonian and not die.’

‘Your main power is speed.’

‘Didn’t you dislocate your shoulder?’

‘Alex, shut up,’ Kara says with finality, her usual happy-go-lucky self being drained by the talk of speed, impenetrable bones and chemicals reeling round her sister’s bloodstream.

‘Thanks, Marlene,’ Vasquez says, holding a file given to her by another Doctor.

‘These are your final test results, Alex, tell you what’s in your blood,’ she continues, handing the file to Alex who gives a her a short look of thanks before opening it hastily, clutching the record sheet for dear life.

‘I’ll um, let you guys, do your - do your thing, um,’ Kara murmurs quietly, trailing off before walking out of the room.

Barry clocks it, choosing not to follow her but focus on the test results.

Alex doesn’t even look up.

~()~

Lucy’s been trying her hardest, with Kara’s help, to stop any media outcry from the blue blur that’s been whirring around the National City Area in the last week and a half, and it’s safe to say she isn’t getting far.

‘Cat Grant is goddamn relentless,’ she fumes, clutching some of her brunette locks in her hand and squeezing. ‘I mean, she’s named it the Blue Blur! She never got to use it when Barry first came to town so now she’s…going to town on that one.’

‘Ha ha. Funny. I can try and talk to her, she’ll get it if it comes from Supergirl.’

Lucy eyes Kara warily. She always laughs at bad puns. Always and forever, that was literally her thing.

She ignores it anyway, choosing to press on with the conversation. She’ll get to the bottom of it later, she’s sure.

‘Why would Supergirl know anything about the Blue Blur?’

Kara trails a finger along Lucy’s desk, innocence feigning on her face as her mouth turns into a shrugging frown.

‘Because she knows Supergirl works for some secret people who need information protected…andthathernameisKaraDanvers.’

Lucy’s face is a picture.

‘What?’

‘Lucy, she knew already I mean, come on. After Bizarro she was never going to believe the doppelgänger -‘

‘It’s Cat Grant, she may be smart, but she’s not fucking omniscient, Kara, she can use this to her advantage. You’re putting everybody at risk. She might expose you,’ Lucy fires back, standing from her desk chair and planting her fists on the wood in front of her.

‘She won’t. She already promised she wouldn’t.’

‘She’s a goddamn journalist, Kara, be serious here.’

‘Cat will listen to me. She’s not just my boss she's my friend, she won’t expose anything I ask her not to -‘

‘Kara! This is serious! Alex is your sister, she's the one who is on the line here,' Lucy reiterates. Kara can feel her anger beginning to simmer.

'Just because you're -' she bites back her words, knowing Lucy would slap her for it. 'Just because you care about Alex doesn't mean I don't. I'm doing this for her. I can sort out Cat's exposure of the blue blur, she'll reel it in,' Kara reasons, trying to get Lucy to see reason.

'I worked for her for months, I know if she sees something intriguing like this she won't just let it go,' Lucy keeps pushing, annoying the Kryptonian ever further.

'I worked for her, hell I still do actually, for three years now, she trusts me, I can get her on side without exposing our cover!'

'She could blow this whole operation to shit!’

‘STOP IT!’ Kara roars, Lucy then taking a couple of steps back from her desk. She’s shocked to say the least.

'My sister is now almost as powerful as me. It could make her or it could kill her, and they're talking about it in there as if it's nothing, oh and she hasn't talked to me about anything but speed since she got that suit. You're on my ass all the time about goddamn exposure and now I'm back on Super duty with J'onn and he thinks I'm not up to it, Barry barely talks to me because he feels guilty and that's just at the DEO. Nobody trusts me and I'm so...goddamn sick of it. Ill fix the situation with Cat, she will listen to me, and trusts me. Apparently, unlike anybody here. I got it.'

Lucy can only nod as Kara balls her fists up for a moment, regaining her self control and closing her eyes, letting out a breath she definitely knew she'd been holding. 'I won't bother coming back in today, I have a ton of editing to do at CatCo. See you tomorrow,' she mutters, leaving the DEO in mere seconds.

Lucy slumps in her chair, throwing her pen she hadn't realised she'd picked up back onto the desk. She'd never even thought to guess that Kara was so stressed. She'd always carried so many burdens and problems on her shoulders without any sort of unhappiness and kept burning through by any good means necessary, but she should have seen this coming. It was all piling up and when both her sister and Cat were involved it was always going to be extra stressful.

She isn't lying when she says she's definitely noticed the change in Alex towards Kara. It's still a focused, driven relationship, but she's losing her little sister with talk about things that not only does she not understand, but things that almost scare her. It gives her the ability to think she may really lose her big sister, and it's hitting her hard. Alex has absolutely changed, not just physically (yes, she's a lot more...muscle than she was before but it was even more obvious now). She'd gone down one of those paths of deep concentration and she's beginning to alienate herself. Of course Lucy would notice.

Even worse, Kara totally knew.

But it's okay.

She could see the muddle of feelings Cat had for Kara months ago when she worked for the Media Mogul, and she would be lying if she said she was sure Kara absolutely reciprocate them.

Everything was just happening so...

 _Fast_.

~()~

Had the office not been dead quiet, she wouldn’t have heard it.

She registers it barely, the swoosh of the cape through the cool California air, the soft patter of boot-clad feet landing on her high-rise balcony.

She rises and opens the door before Kara can even knock.

‘Good evening Miss Grant.’

‘Kara. What brings you here now?’

'I was working in my office I just sort of, shut myself away to get some editing done then I went flying to clear my head, why…why is everyone..?’

‘It’s Martin Luther King Day, Kara. I sent most people home at 3, everything was pretty much finished anyway. James left about fifteen minutes ago.’

Kara’s eyes flicker to the inside of the office, reading the small clock on the ornate table where Cat’s stash of alcohol and M&M’s were stored.

It’s only quarter to 5.

‘Kara…are you alright?’

She’s snapped out of her stupor when Cat comes into her eyeline, one eyebrow quirked just slightly. She can see the concern shining from her eyes, though, masked artfully by the media mogul but not enough that Kara can’t register it. Thank God for this woman.

‘I…no.’

Cat nods slightly, looking at the ceiling for a moment before taking a deep breath, exhaling quickly and looking Kara straight in the eye.

‘…Okay, Supergirl, go and change, and be back in my office in two minutes,’ Cat declares, looking at Kara pointedly.

‘I can do it in less-‘

‘Two. Minutes.’

‘As you wish, Miss Grant.’

Kara has flown off around the edge of the building to find her own office before Cat speaks again.

‘You can call me Cat.’

She sighs, walking back into her office and going to the cupboard on the far side next to the drinks desk.

She opens it, revealing a mini fridge-freezer filled with different types of goodies. Plucking out the Dreyer’s cookie dough ice cream, she grabs a spoon and then pours herself some M&M’s. She grabs the bottle of Blanton’s knowing Kara’s inclination towards bourbon, and sets it all down on the table.

A moment later, Kara trudges into her office in black skinny jeans, and a dark green shirt with small black dots on it. It’s untucked, which is unlike the Kryptonian, and her hair is down but the glasses are still in place; her little bit of normality that’s always there to comfort her during the weird and crazy day.

‘Miss Grant…’

‘It’s Cat. We’re…friends now, are we not?’ she adds with a smirk, and Kara can barely keep her heart from thumping in her chest.

Friends.

‘And anyway, that Ice Cream is out of your freezer in your office, yes, I discovered it when I was looking for the Diana Prince article on your desk a few days ago.’

‘I thought I’d bought more than there was,’ Kara murmurs under her breath, sitting down on the sofa with a confused look on her face.  Nevertheless, she picks up the ice cream instead if the alcohol, swiping off the lid and placing it demurely on the coaster before tucking in timidly, aware that her boss had just given her ice cream.  

_This is so weird. And so NICE._

It's not like she's complaining, though.

The Media Mogul sits on the sofa closest to the balcony, crossing her legs and leaning forward a little, one hand wrapped tightly around her knee and the other clutching her glass. She tries to hide her full on smile at Supergirl’s obvious confusion; she’s also trying to hide her furiously thumping heart as she sees Supergirl in such a casual manner and those skinny jeans.

_Focus, Grant._

‘What’s going on, Supergirl?’

She sees Kara’s uncertain look and stops her before she can start. ‘With…what you’re allowed to tell me.’

‘Well…my sister has…changed, a little bit after her accident. She’s okay, she’s just different. She won’t talk to me, all she’s trying to do is figure out what’s…this problem. And it’s like she won’t look at me. I don’t understand what I’ve done.’

‘She’s been in a coma for weeks, maybe she just needs a little time to readjust,’ Cat replies, pouring herself another healthy glass of Blanton.

‘I suppose, I just… she’s one of the few people in my life I can trust with everything. And she’s not that person right now.’

Cat stares at the other sofa for a little while. ‘Everyone goes through these sorts of phases. You did.’

Kara turns mid mouthful, the confused puppy expression returning, and because what Cat’s about to say is so serious she can’t really laugh at it in the way she wants to.

‘You went through that business with the mind altering chemical, you threw me off a building and you almost killed half the city.’

‘That’s different. Well, it’s actually a lot worse, but I hurt people. She hasn’t hurt anybody doing this.’

‘Keira darling,’ Cat says, almost enough to be condescending but soft enough that Kara will listen, ‘chances are she wants to solve this problem and get things back to the way they were almost as much as you do. It’s been a week and a half, Kara. You have to give her time. Remember she’s struggling a hell of a lot here too, and no,’ she rolls her eyes a little, ‘I don’t know what is currently ailing your sister physically or mentally, but after what you say she’s been through, she has to process it, and we aren’t all like you, Supergirl. Some of us don’t always want help when it comes to these things.’

‘I know, it’s just…it’s not in my nature to let my sister go it alone. Or the other way around, but that’s not the point here. I…I um, I never told you what the…S means. On my suit?’

She pretends not to notice Cat edging that little bit closer.

‘Well I assume that you’re bringing it up because it doesn’t stand for ‘super’.’

Kara leans forward, and the only thing in Cat’s vision are Kara’s rippling shoulder muscles. She knows she shouldn’t be thinking about her in any sort of non-platonic prospect, but her brain has been so muddled and confused as of late that she can’t help herself. What further hinders her plight is that Kara is so…goddamn intriguing. And the feelings that have been milling in the bottom of her stomach have finally blossomed into the butterflies that flutter around her midriff right now.

Something tells her that they aren’t going to stop either.

The superhero’s ice cream is discarded on the table, as she leans back she can feel Cat's closeness. She can't say she doesn't like it.

'It's the crest from my House on Krypton. I am the last female heir to the House of El. That sign? It doesn't say super. It translates from Kryptonian, my native language. El Mayara.'

'And what does El Mayara mean?'

She looks at Cat, and she sees how close their faces are becoming. Cat isn't directly leaning over, but it's enough for Kara to be unable to resist her eyes flickering over Cat's lips.  
It's only once, but then Cat mimics the action, and it's only now that she realises Cat's heart is thumping just as loud as hers is.

How has she not seen this before? How has she neglected to notice her boss' heartbeat spikes every time she enters a room, or the small smile on her face when she'd left Cat's office?

She thought she'd been in love with James, she really did. She loved him, definitely, but it was so much easier when they were friends. It was too awkward in the end; he ended up going back to being single and liking it that way, and he'd begun to hang out with Winn a little more and actually gotten used to having a guy friend instead of constant girl talk, and what _he_ seemed to think was drama. And maybe she was only really seeing it here, now, but what comes to mind is how she'd hold her shoulders a little higher whenever Cat sashayed into her new office. Or when, she'd turned up to that corporate event for the Tribune's new partnership with some other local radio station for publicity and the dress she was in made her look like a goddess, and Kara couldn't function for a good few seconds. She kind of wishes she'd told her how breathtaking she looked on that night.

She does look beautiful right now. Her hair is loosely curled, but it's becoming just long enough now that it touches her shoulders even with them. Her eye makeup is light, coordinated with her blue stripe jacket she wore when the Flash came to town. She's wearing a sheer white top underneath it today, and she looks so elegant and poised even when she is halfway towards being on Kara's lap.

Could she really feel this too? Cat Grant, attracted to the meagre Kara Danvers? It's not like she had a patch on John Stamos.

But then, of course, there is Supergirl. Cat could easily have been crushing on Supergirl before she found out that, in fact, she and her now former assistant were one and the same. Would it really be right, though? To kiss Cat Grant when all she really wanted, maybe, was the persona?

She doesn't know, but she has a question to answer.

'It means, 'Stronger Together'.'

Cat smiles slightly, her eyes even creasing a little as the acceptance rolls around her features.   
'Aren't we just.'

Cat looks back down at Kara's lips, and her resistance is slowly waning.

It's over before it even starts. There's a whoosh that comes from the public elevators and Kara whips around to see Alex stalking into the bullpen and heading straight for the main office.

She quickly rises from her seat, putting her hand on Cat's thigh just as she gets up to check Cat hasn't run a mile upon seeing Alex, and takes a few steps towards her sister.

'Alex, what are you doing here?'

'We need to talk.'

'Oh, so now you wanna talk to me?'

Without warning, a figure whips past every window and a piercing cry is heard, shattering almost every window on the floor. Cat is flung a few metres towards the other wall, Alex and Kara intact due to their strength and stability.

Kara turns around to see Cat struggling to get up due to the glass debris surrounding her small frame, and she immediately makes to help her up, her sister closely in tow.   
'I'm guessing this was your subject matter,' Kara says, helping Cat get up as the three of them start to move quickly to the safety of further inside the building, and then it clicks in the Superhero's head - her office has no windows.

She guides the other two to her windowless domain, locking the door and letting Cat collapse to the sofa and Alex lean forward against the table, hands gripping the edges for real life. Cat breathes slowly and deeply, her ears still ringing from hearing the scream the loudest out of any of them.

'What the hell was that?'

'I don't know, none of us do. Its been terrorising the city for the last fifteen minutes, and it's got someone in its arms.'

'Do we know who?'

'Our good friend General Lane.'

'Oh, crap.'

~()~

15 minutes earlier

'Lane.'

'Danvers,' Lucy parrots, trying to avoid eye contact with her counterpart.

They mill around in the break room with uncomfortable silence looking over them, Alex busying herself making she and Barry a cup of coffee while Lucy takes a bottle of Coke Zero out of the fridge.

'So I see you and Allen are getting cozy.

'What, you jealous?' Alex fires back, looking at the wall instead of turning to see Lucy's reaction.

'N-no, actually, I just...Kara and I had a conversation. Earlier, I-I mean.'   
Get it together, Lane.

'Your point?'

'Well, it's just that...'

'Spit it out, baby Lane, I'm quickly getting bored of this conversation.'

'When was the last time you actually talked to your sister, Alex?' She bites it out harder than she means to, but she doesn't regret it. Alex is totally being an asshole right now, she deserves everything she gets.

'Like, two hours ago, what's it to you? She's my sister,' Alex declares hotly, advancing slightly on Lucy in what could almost be seen as a predatory fashion; in any other situation Lucy would have...different thoughts in her head at this moment, but she's too angry at Alex to think about it right now.

'Not according to her. You're barely giving Kara a goddamn thought, she's going crazy trying to figure out what she's done to make you mad or why you're so closed off. You haven't talked to her, not really. Come on, sack up, Agent Danvers. What the hell's going on?'

'What the hell is going on in my head is my business!' She's right up in Lucy's personal space, and had this been a month ago Lucy wouldn't have batted an eyelid. But Alex is super now. There's probably a thousand ways in which an angry Alex Danvers and although deep down, she knows she wouldn't, it's still...daunting. 'I'm trying to figure out what is happening to me and why it is happening to me.'

'And you need Barry Allen there 24/7 for that? No help from your superpowered sister who also knows how it feels to not be like everybody else?'

'Barry is here because he's a scientist. He can help. And his powers are more like mine. He's useful.'

'Right, and so now you guys are having cute coffee dates on breaks.'

 _Dammit_.

She hadn't meant to make it about jealousy. She's only trying to help Kara. She can't help it though... Alex is magnetic. She's been pulling Lucy Lane into her vice like grip from the moment she stepped onto the desert when Kara was about to fight Red Tornado. She was captivated.   
But she couldn't let it show. Not until Alex was hit by the most devastatingly blessed mix of electricity and chemicals and put herself in a coma for a month, not to mention give herself superpowers.

She's been entranced from the beginning. But she can't show that. Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

_Too late._

'You are jealous,' Alex mutters, but she doesn't give away anything, her face remains a picture of only a little surprise, her mouth opening a little. Lucy doesn't deny it. She can't, there's no point. So she continues with her primary objective. That's what Agents do.

'Make no mistake, Alex. I'm doing this for Kara. She needs her sister back, and you need yours.'

She ducks her head down, unable to look Alex in the eye. They're close, and it would be uncomfortable had it lasted long enough.

It doesn't, obviously.

Vasquez bursts in, unaware of how the two jump apart on her arrival, and Alex gets ready to really get back to her job for the first time in forever.

'There's an unidentifiable flying being going over all of National City, it's terrorising the business district.'

'What?'

They follow Vasquez out of the break room and into the control room, and sure enough the screen displays a black figure swooping down and terrorising the citizens of National City, a piercing crow not unlike the Silver Banshee's ringing out over the speakers.

'It's some sort of humanoid in a mask, and it's carrying someone, sir, we're trying to get a visual,' says Vasquez, updating the Director on the situation.

'Let me know when you get a detection. Danvers, can you get Supergirl?'

'Her phone is off,' Alex says, already having tried to ring her sister.

'Why the hell is her phone off?'

'Whatever, I can get to her quickly anyway.'

Before anybody can tell her not to, Alex has disappeared from the compound, speeding her way to National City.

'That better not become a habit,' Hank mutters, waiting for the visual on the figure in the sky.

'Got it, sir.'

'General...Samuel Lane.'

Lucy almost loses her balance, but grips onto the rail before she can fall.

She puts her finger to her ear, pressing the speed dial button on her Bluetooth.

'Alex,' she says, relieved to get through. She can hear the wind rocketing past the metahuman on the other end.

'What's going on?'

'It's my Dad, Alex.'

'...General Lane...'

'They've got my Dad.'

'Leave it to me and Kara, Baby Lane. We'll get him back.'

Lucy whispers her accord before tapping the button lightly, her hands still shaking.

She grips the railing with both hands and looks up to the screen, watching her father get pull every which way.

She wants to be sick, but she's a soldier.

She needs to get through this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry... I'm mean, I know. Thank you it's for the kudos this has already, you know it means the world. I hope you guys enjoyed, and leave a comment here or come hit me up on tumblr at superpuppydanvers if you'd like to yell at me about this Fic.


	4. Let Me Tell You, I'm Ready To Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex tries to find out who's wreaking havoc in the city while everyone reflects on moments of the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm...so sorry. I really need to stop promising chapters. I heart you guys and here's the next one. Enjoy. x

'What is happening?'

 

Cat's just recovered from the shock of being thrown across a room when she zones in to see Kara and Alex bickering over something or other, completely oblivious to the media mogul.They turn sharply as they hear her, looking back at each other as if grasping for an explanation.

 

'Uh...we don't...I have no idea, Cat.'

 

'It's...this is off the record righ-'

 

'Oh for Gods sake Scully, I haven't got a recorder. What's going on?'

 

Alex rolled her eyes a little before replying, stepping towards Cat a few times with a little hesitation in her body language; she isn't scared of Cat, that isn't it. She's... Cautious.

 

‘Cat, we’re not really sure.’

 

Kara has talked well of Cat so many times, always bigging her up to be, in Alex's opinion, more than she is.It's as if she's got some sort of crush on her or something, and the last thing the older woman wants is to hear her little sister has been royally screwed over by The Queen of all Media. It's an easy assumption, in Alex's mind anyway, but it's becoming increasingly clear that Kara's digging a hole she may not be able to climb out of.

 

At least she doesn't know Kara is Supergirl.

 

'Well why don't you just fly out and laser him, you have that laser vision, don't you?!'

 

'It's not that simple, this thing, whatever is, it has a hostage!'

 

 _Ah_.

 

'If you can catch me surely you can catch him!'

 

'Cat, I have to go about this with less...brute force and more strategy.We know nothing about this caped figure, I could...aim and kill the hostage by accident...or it could kill me, I don't know.'

 

'Right, yes, I...I should have thought about that.'

 

Alex puts her head in her hands and closes her eyes for a moment, not able to take in what's going on.

 

Does Kara have no concept of secrecy? It's so important, to make sure that she can continue having her own life and protect her friends and family, and herself, but Alex just can't help but think she's throwing it away all on one woman who deserves nothing from her.

 

'Kara?'

 

'What, Alex?'

 

'She knows?'

 

Cat gets up from her seat to join the conversation fully, rubbing at the part of her head that's a little sore from the fall. 

 

'Listen...Alex, is it?Right now is not the time to be doing this, if you hadn't already noticed, we are under attack and also without a way out.My knowing Kara's identity, if it was even a problem, should be the least of your worries.'

 

'I get to decide what's worrying and what's not, lady.You've treated Kara like crap for almost three years and you expect me to just be okay with the fact you know the one thing about her that could ruin her entire life? You could get people she loves killed, you could get _her_ killed.'

 

'I would never expose her, Kara Danvers is just as important to me as Supergi-'

 

Kara's eyes widen and her lips part for two reasons.

 

One, Cat Grant just said she thought Kara Danvers was important to her.

 

Two, she hears something slice through the air, headed straight for Cat's heart.She doesn't know how it's doing that straight through the wall, but that's its trajectory.

 

Before she can even think to move, the small arrow is going straight through the wall, close to burying itself in Cat's chest, but the force she'd have to use to get her out of the way quick enough would probably break her neck.

 

Then there's a flash.

 

The arrow isn't in the air anymore, and she breathes heavily, looking to Cat who's completely unharmed.

 

The pair slowly move their eyes in the direction of the flash of light, and there they see Alex, holding the arrow between her hands and breathing a little more than normal.

 

There's a few beats of silence, but Cat has never been able to keep her mouth shut for long.

'I thought Barry Allen was the Flash, am I to assume I'm wrong?'

 

Alex eyes her with a quaint mix of contempt and disapproval, not really wanting to have such a conversation now.

 

'Thank you would suffice.'

 

'That's not a no.'

 

'I'm not the goddamn Flash, and it's none of your business.You're obviously a target, they wouldn't have made such a clean shot without knowing who it is,' Alex rambles, stalking over to the both of them as they all reel from the shock of what just occurred.

 

'Why would she be a target now? Livewire and the Silver Banshee are safely in metahuman prison, and Max Lord won't touch us by order of the army and the President which because of Supergirl, extends to Cat...'

 

'She runs an empire on outing secrets. Of course she'll have more than two enemies, except this one doesn't like Lucy's father either.'

 

'Samuel Lane?'

 

'Yes. Lucy's probably going crazy,' Alex replies to Cat, while Kara stands quietly behind the oldest woman's side. 

 

'Kara, get Miss Grant to a safe place. I'm gonna see what we're dealing with.'

 

'Alex, you've only just begun to understand your powers, you could get hurt,' Kara tries to say, her voice more timid than usual as she casually puts a hand on Cat's arm.

 

'You know where to take Cat, and I'm apparently unbreakable,' Alex replies, opening the door to the office and looking out of the window outside.

 

'Alex, they can fly.'

 

'And I can run up a building,' she parrots back. 'Go.'

 

'Alex please, you don't have to play hero right now,' Kara asks one more time; she doesn't care what's going on between them, she cares about her more than anything in this moment. Her sister is running at lightning speed right into the fray, and Kara can't cope.

 

' _Go_.'

 

She eyes her big sister one more time.

 

Alex won't look at her, only focusing on what havoc is being wreaked outside.

 

She puts a hand on the small of Cat's back and they begin to jog to the other side of the building, finding a window to fly out of.

 

She doesn’t really know why, but she trusts that Alex can do this.It’s ridiculous, and stupid, and all the other negative superlatives one can come up with, but it’s the gut instinct that she gets that she just can’t fight.Like when she told Cat about Supergirl, or when she realised she wasn’t meant to be with James, or when she finally saw how gone Lucy was on Alex.

 

It’s only when they’re at the other side of the building about to fly when Cat grabs her hand, and she swivels to see the look on her face.It’s a mix of terror, of trust, of everything.She’s so muddled and it’s all bared in front of Kara, and the girl can hardly take it.

 

‘Carter,’ is all the older woman can breathe.

 

‘We’ll get him, Cat.Come on.’

 

~()~

 

Alex takes a few deep breaths, knowing this is going to be one of the hardest fights of her life.

 

Her heart is beating faster than any normal human's, and she's having trouble believing it's not going to fail on her.She puts her hood up on her black sweatshirt, pulling it down just over her eyes so they're not visible to the rest of the world, but so she can still see out of it. Limbering up a little, she checks the situation outside, thinking what she might be able to do.

 

She decides on a plan. It's a bloody terrible plan, but it's something, which is more than she had a moment ago when she bravely( _foolishly_ ) put herself in the firing line.

 

She runs down the to the ground floor of the building looking up and watching the pattern of the

 

Running in a flash down to the bottom of the building, she surveys the havoc being wreaked above her head, seeing the larger figure dragging Samuel Lane through the air.

 

They must be working together, that one and the other, who is currently flying around CATCO having missed the CEO and Supergirl's quick exit.

 

She knows if she tries to go for the larger, she could kill Samuel, so she sets her sights on the smaller one.

 

Alex cannot believe she's about to do this.

 

She backs up 50 paces from the main CatCo building, limbering up a little before cracking her neck once.

 

Breathe in.

 

Breathe out.

 

 _Run_.

 

~()~

 

'Ms. Grant and Supergirl have safely vacated the city, I believe they've gone to her beach house 30 miles up the coast.'

 

Lucy walks over to the main control panel at the top, barely listening to Vasquez’s news about Supergirl and the media mogul.

 

Don’t get her wrong: she cares deeply for Kara.They’ve become best friends in the last few months, especially post-Myriad, but even the superhero knows the feelings she harbours for her sister are something she’s not going to be able to forget.Not for a long time.

 

She’s asked Lucy a few times why the younger Lane hasn’t made her move. Each time, Lucy’s given the same answer; _she doesn’t want me_.

 

It’s not like Kara knows if Alex is ready or not; the older Danvers does talk to her little sis, but never about true affairs of the heart not concerning family, or her sex life.Definitely not her sex life.But she can see it in the little things.As an assistant, Kara was trained to anticipate.As the editor she’s become, she’s learning to see the little things, things that could be improved, things that stand out and punch people in the brain or things that are niggling to get out into the open.Alex’s feelings are those little things.She sees her affections for Lucy in the little things.The bar of chocolate left in Lucy’s office at the end of the day; Lucy still has no clue where they come from, and she certainly has no thought that it might be Alex.The way Alex silently and subtly puts her hand on Lucy’s shoulder on the odd time that they fail a mission, and Lucy’s so wrapped up her failure she doesn’t see what’s going on.

 

Lucy’s always thought that Alex didn’t share her feelings, that she never would. 

 

Kara thinks she’s wrong.

 

‘Any news from Agent Danvers?’ she asks, trying not to sound too worried.

 

Hank side-eyes her, shifting from one foot to another before answering in the negative.

 

He notices Lucy bring her hand up to her mouth, nervously biting her nails in the presence of everybody around her.He could tell his co-director is worried, but he isn’t going to say anything in front of everyone else.

 

J’onn J’onzz has always been an observer.He’ll do his job, and he’ll do it damn well, but when it comes to others, he will simply observe and record in his mind the things he deems important. 

 

Some things maybe aren’t important to most people, but they are to the people he cares about.He does notice when Alex and Lucy look at each other longingly when they’re not looking.He notices when Alex can’t concentrate, and rolls a chocolate bar in her hand which then ends up on Lucy’s desk.He also notices her attitude to Lucy when she is around.He’s been posing as a human long enough to know they’re a complex race, with customs and mannerisms rather strange to those outside it; but the way people can dance around their feelings so much so they refuse to accept them is something that will puzzle J’onn til the day he joins his family in the afterlife.

 

~()~

 

They touch down in front of Carter Grant’s school, where most of the children are hiding under tables inside and hoping, praying that these winged havoc-wreakers won’t come for them as well.

 

Kara gets Cat into the school with a roof over her head, hoping nobody is close enough to shoot at her this time.She runs at a human speed to the classroom where she hears Carter, whose short and sharp breathing is unmistakable in her ears as he cowers beneath the teacher’s desk.

 

She goes to the front of the empty room; all the other children had gone to the cafeteria, and in the fray the incompetent teachers had forgotten to check who was where.

 

‘Carter? Buddy? It’s me, it’s Supergirl,’ she says carefully, not wanting to startle the body too much.

 

’S-supergirl? Is…is my mom okay?’

 

‘I’m right here, sweetheart,’ Cat says, having caught up with Kara to find her dear son cowering under the table.Her heart breaks a thousand times whenever she sees her son this way.

 

He barrels into his mother’s waiting arms, and the love between them makes Kara’s heart swell.How she wished she could embrace her own mother one more time.

 

‘Cat?’

 

The media mogul’s head snaps up, and she can see the tears in Cat’s eyes.One has slipped down her cheek, and all Kara wants is to wipe it away.

 

But the best she can do now is lay hand on her small-set shoulder, and tell her they must go now.

 

The trust that has built up between them can’t be mistaken as anything else.Cat simply nods once, and then follows Supergirl out to the entrance, where they both stand for a moment as Kara surveys the area.

 

‘Okay I’m going to take one of you in each arm, so put your arms around my shoulders and the other one on my side, and hold on tight okay?I won’t let go of you.’

 

‘Please don’t,’ Cat says.She looks genuinely terrified.She’s never looked so scared, even when Livewire or the Silver Banshee was after her, she still has never looked so terrified.

 

‘I promise.’

 

They look at each other then, and maybe, in another universe, this would be their moment of an earth-shattering kiss, the swelling declaration of infatuation or even love. But this is not that time, not yet.But they trust each other.

 

That’s good enough for them for now.

 

Kara flies them as quickly as she can without injuring either of them, all the way to their beach house 50 miles outside National City. 

 

The superhero can only pray to Rao that her sister will be okay.

 

~()~

 

Throwing herself off the side of a building at superspeed didn’t really start out as Alex’s dream.

 

She always thought if she was ever going to have superpowers, when she was a kid, she would want invisibility.She liked to stick to herself sometimes; everybody crowded her as an only child, and all she ever really wanted was some peace.In some ways, when Kara came, that changed; she wanted to be better than Kara, she realised that actually she _did_ want to be on top, she _did_ want her parents’ undivided attention.But in others, especially in the earlier months of Kara latching onto her, she still wanted that invisibility, a chance to forget that actually she didn’t have an alien child at her side who needed to be taught how to use a goddamn kettle.

 

Over the years, she learned that actually, being invisible was never the best superpower. The best superpower was control over your own mind; she believes that even now, even Kara’s incredible abilities, and her own too. 

 

And now, she believes she’s gaining control of her own mind, crafting it to her body and willing herself to do exactly what she wants it to.

 

Superspeed wasn’t her dream power.But it’s the one she has, by a miracle of science, and it’s one that she’s going to use to the best of her ability.

 

In mid-air, she goes barreling into the armed villain in the sky, the grey-clad figure dropping their crossbow as they’re hit by Alex’s body force, and they slam into the offices of the next building.

 

As they skid to a stop in the empty floor, Alex puts her elbow on the neck of the figure, who is a little smaller than she; but she doesn’t notice the utility belt that holds a button there that will be Alex’s undoing this time.

 

The button is pressed by the figure’s free hand, and Alex sees through the mask on the face; it’s woman, she can tell that much, and her eyes are green…blue…

 

Before she can really be sure, Alex is in blinding pain; the bleeps from the button are piercing her ears, and she’s flung off the woman’s body with force as the figure gets up and runs to the hole in the building.

 

Alex gets up and tries to run to get to the figure, but she sees the finger hovering over the button, halting in her tracks.She looks into the eyes of the figure, and for the first time, she speaks.

 

‘This isn’t over, I’m coming for you.Tell your friend too.’

 

‘And who exactly are you? Who should I tell my counterpart who is coming for me?Because apparently Supergirl isn’t.’

 

Alex stays silent for a moment, not knowing what to call herself just yet.

 

The girl laughs humourlessly.

 

‘I suppose you want Samuel Lane back?’

 

‘You’re right I do, and I can get Supergirl to get here and take him.’

 

‘You don’t want to fight him.Or me, for that matter.’

 

‘Let Samuel Lane go, and we won’t kill you.’

 

‘You’re too honourable to kill me in any life, speedster.’

 

Alex’s face turns into one of a predator, ready to pounce.

 

‘Am I?’

 

The girl stays silent for a moment.

 

Suddenly, the larger figure appears in the hole in the building, holding a rather dishevelled General Lane in the big arms.

 

He is unceremoniously dropped to the floor, coughing a little from what Alex can only deduce as light asthma with a side of shock.

 

‘He is yours. For now,’ the gruff voice says, obviously a male.He flies away, deciding not to engage with Alex.She turns to the smaller figure again.

 

‘You’ll see me again.’

 

‘And you’ll see me, speedster.I am Greysparrow, he’s the Black Falcon.And we will take this city.’

 

She clicks a different button on her utility belt, and flies into the fray, her counterpart already flying away from the city, inland.

 

Alex clicks on her earpiece, hoping the thing hasn’t fried from the cry. 

 

Thankfully, she’s getting a weak signal to the DEO, and she begins to speak.

 

‘Lucy? It’s me.Your dad’s okay, apart from a little shock.’

 

‘Alex, oh my god thank you.Thank you Alex,’ she rambles, close to tears as she hears of her father’s safety.

 

‘Alex, why did they let him go so easily?They hardly put up a fight,’ Hank says, wary of what’s just happened; no enemy gives up a hostage in such a throwaway manner.

 

‘I don’t know,’ she says, leaning down to Samuel to check him for injuries.

 

‘They…they put something in me…my arm…’ he says, breathing heavily.

 

Alex rips open the arm sleeve on his jacket, and sees a small bump sticking out over mostly smooth skin.

 

‘What is it?’

 

‘It could be tracker, I don’t know, Hank I don’t…if it’s a tracker I can’t take him back to the DEO.’

 

‘I know.’

 

‘Alex, I’ll come and get him.You need to figure this out, and you can’t do that if you’re babysitting my Dad,’ she hears Lucy declare through the earpiece.

 

‘Okay.I’ll wait for you.’

 

She hears Lucy’s shaky breath as she hesitates.

 

‘Thank you.’

 

She clicks off the earpiece and looks through the hole of the building, where the enemy once stood.

 

They all wonder if they’ll ever get a minute of peace.


End file.
